C492
Jin's eyes widened as he looked up at the sky.
'This is madness...'
A curse escaped his lips reflexively. Anyone not belonging to Zipple's flag would have reacted the same way.
The massive battleships, over a hundred of them, looked like a dark and vast tumor in the early morning sky. The battleships blocked out the stars, and the peaceful serenity of the clear night sky was nowhere to be seen, replaced by a gloomy darkness.
The situation had two fortunate aspects. Firstly, the fleet seemed close due to the illusion barrier, but in reality, they were quite separated. Secondly, not a single battleship emitted light. The ships remained stationary in the sky, unmoving.
For a moment, the three couldn't take their eyes off the sky.
Mirror.
Jin immediately thought of Colon's divine artifact. To handle so many ships, it would require at least seven or eight-star magicians, tens of thousands of them, even more to maximize the power of the battleships. If there was an artifact like the Mirror, providing infinite mana, so many magicians wouldn't be necessary.
Even without the Mirror, there were means such as the living golems and the Demon God Orb. Jin had confirmed back on the Gaifa Islands that they could operate and produce battleships by reviving the deceased.Of course, the Demon God Orb was not yet complete. But for how much longer?
When the Demon God Orb is complete, and the mass-produced battleships go into full operation.
'If even the cube is used in conjunction...'
Runcandel, or rather, the world, will be over. It was impossible to predict when the Demon God Orb would be complete, but one thing was certain: Jin himself was the most crucial material for the Demon God Orb.
I have to focus more on escaping. And...
I must get the battleship blueprints.
Having the blueprints was essential to effectively confront the mass-produced battleships. Blueprints were the most important means to identify the weaknesses of the battleships and the critical resources needed for production.
Moreover, Sandra Zipple's right arm and space-time device must have something in common with the blueprints.
'Since they all use the power of the Demon God Orb, it should be useful for research.'
Jin remembered that it was from the core of the Demon God Orb, so renewed tension ran through his body and mind, making him more alert to the fact that this was Zipple's headquarters.
Murakan spat abruptly.
"Tsk! These Zipple maniacs, when did they make and park something like this? About a hundred ships... well, I can bring down a battleship with one breath, so I guess a hundred breaths would be enough."
Contrary to the content, there was a hint of confusion in his words. This time, even Murakan was surprised.
"Damn it."
Dyfus spoke as if chewing the words. As soon as he saw the fleet, for the first time in his life, he couldn't help but think.
'Is it possible for our Family to win in a total war against Zipple?'
Dyfus had never doubted or suspected it. He believed that someday, Runcandel would surpass Zipple and become the true victor of the world. But facing the fleets that filled the sky, it seemed like such a thing would never happen.
Moreover, this fleet might not be everything there was. There could be another fleet hidden somewhere, not in the Sota Desert.
Born in Runcandel, today he finally saw the true identity of the enemy, and his vision became distant. Still, he quickly pushed his feeling of frustration aside and regained composure, thanks to a fact that came to his mind.
Even with a fleet like that, Zipple can't conquer Runcandel.
'They couldn't conquer my father's Runcandel.'
Jin knew it because he heard Cyron say it directly, but Dyfus had been vaguely guessing it for a while.
The fact that his father, Cyron Runcandel, didn't have much time left.
My father will disappear from our Family in the not-too-distant future...
Before that happens, I must prepare for any contingency, no matter the cost.
'My mother's favoritism toward Joshua must be for that reason, though it's hard to accept.'
Dyfus's gaze settled on Jin. Jin, who remained motionless, reminded him of the day he turned the Garden of Swords into a battlefield.
Magic Sword.
The legacy of ancient Runcandel.
To confront Zipple's power, they must reclaim that power.
'The strength and ability of Jin are desperately needed.'
Aside from the Magic Sword, he had just used Solderet's divine power to instantly destroy barriers and defensive magic, and he also had the Sword of Legends. He needed to purify Runcandel as soon as possible.
Dyfus made up his mind and turned around.
"Yes, just as you say, Jin... I guess the reason I risk my life for our Family isn't just the barrier."
"Oh, Dyfus, are you thinking of dying to destroy all those things right now?"
"If destroying those battleships and fundamentally dismantling them could deal a significant blow, I would. Damaging the material wouldn't be trivial either, but our top priority is securing the blueprints. We need to reproduce them or identify their weaknesses. That's what we must do to move forward."
After pushing aside the frustration, Dyfus's unique tenacity pulsed in his heart. Now he felt he had to grit his teeth and fight against Zipples, not against his brothers. This didn't mean giving up patriarchy, but it seemed necessary to minimize unnecessary conflicts.
'We reproduce them...'
Jin pondered that part of Dyfus's recent statement. He hadn't considered that idea before, although it wasn't entirely unfamiliar to him. Jin wasn't a fan of living golems, but space-time devices and battleships were undoubtedly valuable if they could be manufactured. Since all of them relied on magical engineering and research, there had never been high expectations for Runcandel and Hufester to match the magical prowess of the Lutero Magical Federation.
But suddenly...
Jin remembered a conversation he had with his brother Tantel just before leaving Lafrarosa.
"After our time stopped, we can never go back to that world. This is a replica of Laprarosa, where we lived, but it's actually some kind of other life."
"So, wouldn't the outside world be more interesting?"
"What's the point of wishing for something we can't have, brother? Besides, you should know that none of the brothers we loved were there. However! I heard this story from the Battle Goddess sister."
"What is it?"
"5000 years have passed outside, so there might be magical spells or developed devices that could bring us out. So, if you don't mind. I'd like you to find out, brother."
The reason Jin remembered this conversation was simple.
"We didn't have the concept of magicians like other races, hehe. Instead, everyone who could manipulate mana became blacksmiths, like me."
The words spoken by the fifth battle king Boras as he implanted a new "molar" in Jin's mouth. At that time, Jin had experienced the "Memory Transfer Magic" through the molar, and it had been an incredible shock to him.
The magical civilization established by the Tribe of Legends had some remarkable aspects, even compared to the present.
Jin placed his hand on his chest. Under the infiltration suit, he felt a solid Light Heart.
The Light Heart was formed from the blood of the Battle Goddess Vahn, but it could take a different form if not transplanted into a person. It felt like an artist suddenly exposed to an intense wave of inspiration. Thoughts like these crossed Jin's mind.
'If we could create battleships powered by Light Hearts using the technology of the Tribe of Legends...'
It might just be a extravagant dream, but he wouldn't achieve it until he tried. I need to meet my brothers again.
'I have to prepare for my third trip to Lafrarosa and find a way to bring my brothers back to this world...'
Calling the true brothers back to the human world, not in the form of guardians with the Black Light Call. This had always been one of Jin's most important concerns since the first trip to Lafrarosa. It wasn't just a means of rewarding his brothers, but also a sincere desire to be with them once again.
'I still don't know what the principle of the cube is, but it's an object that can also summon resurrected dead.'
'If I study and analyze it properly, it might be useful for calling my brothers back.'
Even after seeing Zipple's cutting-edge technology and its fleet of over a hundred battleships, Jin suddenly felt grateful for being able to harbor such deep hopes.
"Let's go to Joshua again. Just like he had the means to bypass the barrier, he most likely also knew the exact location of the blueprint. I didn't expect us to break through the barrier like this, so the faster we get there, the more chances we'll have to catch him off guard."
Silently and quickly, they began their sprint towards the White Night Tower.
The White Night Tower emitted a soft glow, very different from the fleet floating behind.
A tower that truly lived up to its name of the white night. Even after running for a while and getting quite close, the group realized that there were no additional defensive magic or barriers near the White Night Tower.
Jin supposed that there would be more traps and magic around the tower. Jin thought there would be some types that couldn't be easily disarmed even with the Shadow Blade...
But even when they reached a distance of only a few hundred steps from the tower, nothing had been activated yet.
"This can't be. Was the barrier we encountered earlier the only one?"
"It's as if someone deliberately blocked all defensive barriers and magical spells. There's no trace of the magicians who should be monitoring the defenses, and not a single guard in sight."
"Kid, since you broke the barrier, something has felt suspiciously lax. Hmmm."
"....Could it be a trap?"
Jin's eyes narrowed at Dyfus's words, and at that moment.
Rumble, boom!
The ground beneath them started to shake and tremble, as if it were an earthquake. It wasn't caused by a trap activated under their feet or the start of a barrier. The entire area around the White Night Tower was shaking. And the group immediately realized the source of this tremor.
Aura...!?
This phenomenon occurred when a large-scale battle took place, or when overwhelmingly powerful beings released their energy. And the epicenter was none other than the White Night Tower.
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KO-FI
'Ko-Fi' for Adv4nc3 Ch4pt3r ( Up to '120' more ch4pt3rs) Publication of up to 6 w33kly ch4pters, thanks.
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